Vivienne Westwood Quotes

I'm fortunate enough to have learned not to waste time getting frustrated with my kids, or co-workers, or friends and family for not doing everything I wish they would. If someone doesn't respond to me the way I want them to, I understand that it doesn't have anything to do with me.

Anger and intolerance are the enemies of correct understanding.

When people express opinions that differ from yours, take it as a chance to grow. Seek to understand over being understood. Be curious, not defensive. The only way to disarm another human being is by listening.

It's always easier to dismiss other people than to go through the awkward and time consuming process of understanding them.

It doesn't do you any service to demonize any group of people. It's much better to try and understand from the inside.

The personal things should be left out of platforms at conventions. You can argue yourself blue in the face, and you're not going to change each other's minds. It's a waste of your time and my time.

Avoid sarcasm. Don't insist on the last word.

When I was young I used to listen to other people and to try and understand what they thought and where they were coming from. I listened and didn't speak.

People won't have time for you if you are always angry or complaining.

Men have to descend from their pedestal and learn how to be more broadminded and spiritual.

It's not necessary with your friends to discuss something you know you will disagree profoundly on.

In the past, I used to argue with those who didn't share my views. I felt this incredible need to 'make my point.' Now I live my life and do my best to be an example of what seems right to me.

When you assume negative intent, you're angry. If you take away that anger and assume positive intent, you will be amazed. Your emotional quotient goes up because you are no longer almost random in your response.

When my wife gets mad at me, I remind myself that she is much smarter than I am and so I probably deserve it, even if I don't really understand it!

We can argue and we can disagree, but we don’t need to poke our fingers in each other’s eyes in order to get our points across.

What we need is anger management right now …. The reaction right now is just anger. We tried to get even. But we shouldn’t try to get even—we should try and reconcile.

When you walk into those situations that have a lot of conflict in them, the first thing to do is to be present enough to allow the other person to speak first. You're not giving power away; you're actually allowing them to feel seen and understood.

Keep this question in mind: 'What would I think of this if I exchanged places with the other person?' It paves the way to more successful action.

There is no fun in getting into a debate or a contest of wills. If something important comes out of the conversation, okay. If not, that's okay, too.

I do ask myself why I make people so enraged, because I only ever say what I think. And while I know it might not be everyone's point of view, that doesn't seem particularly intolerable to me.

I think I'm always trying to see the other's point of view, dealing in a very heart-to-heart way.

I'm a very good listener, and I'm not interested in having fights simply for a question of protocol or vanity.

Reasonable people can have differences.

You can disagree without being disagreeable. That's always been my mantra.

Let's cultivate an environment, not just in beauty pageants but in society in general, where we argue like we're right but listen like we're wrong.